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Changing planes in Charles DeGaulle with a scooter


kgmoran
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We will be changing planes in CDG on our way to Lisbon for a cruise. Has anyone had any experience with this ? When we have passed through CDG before with wheelchairs assistance it seems like we were shifted from bus to bus to get to the next departure gate. Can these buses accommodate a small scooter (smart scoot). I certainly don’t want it to b checked through to Lisbon. My husband can’t walk well enough to make that long trek from one gate to another.

 

I rally would love to hear from someone who has brought a scooter to this airport.

 

Thank you

 

Katie moran

 

 

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I haven’t used a scooter but have had various experiences with changing at CDG. We have to change somewhere to fly long haul, last year it was CDG to Miami. Wheelchair assistance was ok for me, and on the way back, though not great. On the way I basically didn’t have a chair, was taken by bus to the next terminal, walked the short distance to the gate and simply waited there. On boarding I was asked to sit on a bollard until I could board, this wasn’t great. I met several other people who were very concerned about their assistance, or lack of it. Including an elderly Indian woman who was on her way back to India and travelling with her daughter, they had been separated by airline staff and the mother had the passports and tickets and didn’t know where her daughter was. She didn’t speak French, the assistance staff we were dealing with didn’t seem to speak much English. Essentially we were treated as goods to be delivered to a location. On the return from Miami we had a very nice girl who got us painlessly to our next flight. On complimenting her on this, she said CDG was rated the worst airport for assistance in Europe, this is saying something when you include Heathrow which is also terrible. I think a scooter is a great idea !

 

 

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We will be changing planes in CDG on our way to Lisbon for a cruise. Has anyone had any experience with this ? When we have passed through CDG before with wheelchairs assistance it seems like we were shifted from bus to bus to get to the next departure gate. Can these buses accommodate a small scooter (smart scoot). I certainly don’t want it to b checked through to Lisbon. My husband can’t walk well enough to make that long trek from one gate to another.

 

I rally would love to hear from someone who has brought a scooter to this airport.

 

Thank you

 

Katie moran

 

 

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Suggest you also contact the airlines to make certain that it's noted in your tickets information that you will be transfering with your own scooter between flights .

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My experience with wheelchair assistance was a little better than yours except for the time they separated my husband and I and he had my passport and I ended up in the police station waiting for someone to find him. I am thinking that maybe an economy seat on a non-stop flight be better than a premium economy seat on a 1-stop flight.

 

 

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We have taken our smartscoot on the airport buses at heathrow. One caveat. MAke sure that ur scooter is not gatechecked to ur final destination and that it gets off in cdg. Also make sure u have a lot of time between flights

 

 

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I take my mobility scooter all over Europe with no problem whatsoever. Although I have travelled to France recently it is a long time since I have been to CDG.

 

You need to book the Assistance when you book your flight. As CDG isn't your final destination I would also speak to the airline.

 

Ensure that when you initially check in the scooter it bears a luggage tag for CDG, so they know it has to be offloaded there.

 

I've never been on a bus in any European airport with other passengers that don't require Special Assistance. You are taken into the terminal separately and bypass the queues.

 

 

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One more thing. Not every airline accepts the smartscoot battery. Air France eg does not. Us airlines all do. Some have a firm limit of 160 Watts. U must call ahead and get it approved and add the smartscoot to ur booking

 

 

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One more thing. Not every airline accepts the smartscoot battery. Air France eg does not. Us airlines all do. Some have a firm limit of 160 Watts. U must call ahead and get it approved and add the smartscoot to ur booking

 

 

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Thanks for this heads up. We .have found that airlines say that you can’t have a lithium battery but they mean that you cannot store it in the cargo hold. My husband always removes the battery and carries it into the plane. We will of course check with the airline to confirm that this approach will work. I am not sure what we will do it if doesn’t. He can’t travel without the smart scoot!

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for this heads up. We .have found that airlines say that you can’t have a lithium battery but they mean that you cannot store it in the cargo hold. My husband always removes the battery and carries it into the plane. We will of course check with the airline to confirm that this approach will work. I am not sure what we will do it if doesn’t. He can’t travel without the smart scoot!

 

 

 

 

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Not the whole story. Many airlines restrict the wattage. They will not let you carry the battery on the plane over 160 Watts. I am certain of this. You must check.

 

We are in Santiago Chile now. We flew latam because of their lithium battery policy.

 

 

 

 

 

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Not the whole story. Many airlines restrict the wattage. They will not let you carry the battery on the plane over 160 Watts. I am certain of this. You must check.

 

We are in Santiago Chile now. We flew latam because of their lithium battery policy.

 

 

 

 

 

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I appreciate your heads up. We spoke to Safir who handle accessibility for Air France. They informed us that Air France now allows Smart Scoots which is a huge relief.

 

 

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I appreciate your heads up. We spoke to Safir who handle accessibility for Air France. They informed us that Air France now allows Smart Scoots which is a huge relief.

 

 

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Interesting. Their website says otherwise last I looked. I would get something in writing if possible.

 

 

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I appreciate your heads up. We spoke to Safir who handle accessibility for Air France. They informed us that Air France now allows Smart Scoots which is a huge relief.

 

 

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As previously stated you need to get that in writing. The problem isn't that it's a Smartscoot rather it's that it has a 288WH lithium battery that comes with it when purchased. Airfrance doesn't allow anything over 160WH for medical devices whiich how mobility scooters are classified . It's stated on Air France's website. Unless you can purchase a battery less than 160WH you need to be prepared for the possiblity that once at the airport it will be refused regardless of what you were told over the phone.

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As previously stated you need to get that in writing. The problem isn't that it's a Smartscoot rather it's that it has a 288WH lithium battery that comes with it when purchased. Airfrance doesn't allow anything over 160WH for medical devices whiich how mobility scooters are classified . It's stated on Air France's website. Unless you can purchase a battery less than 160WH you need to be prepared for the possiblity that once at the airport it will be refused regardless of what you were told over the phone.

 

 

 

Plus 1. When we flew klm within Europe we had a written approval. Again don’t confuse approval of a scooter with approval of the battery. We fly with the smartscoot all the time. You must be very sure that the airport staff is on the same page with corporate

 

 

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Thansk to your warnings I have spent quite a bit of time the phone with KLM and Air France. The people at both were very helpful explaining the limitation on WattHiurs. The 160 WH Limitation applies to if you are bring two batteries on board which apparently a lot of people do. Neither of the two can be more than 160. (However if you are just bringing one battery the max limit on that one is 300 mw, the same as it is in the US. I sure wish they said that clearly on the website. Not would have saved me from A lot of anxiety!

 

The airlines have registered his scooter on all flights but of course I have requested written confirmation of this, just in case!

 

Thank you for your heads up. I am feeling much better now that I know that he will be able to bring the smart scoot.

 

Katie

 

PS - Dont you just love the Smart Scoot. It has changed our lives.

 

 

 

 

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Thansk to your warnings I have spent quite a bit of time the phone with KLM and Air France. The people at both were very helpful explaining the limitation on WattHiurs. The 160 WH Limitation applies to if you are bring two batteries on board which apparently a lot of people do. Neither of the two can be more than 160. (However if you are just bringing one battery the max limit on that one is 300 mw, the same as it is in the US. I sure wish they said that clearly on the website. Not would have saved me from A lot of anxiety!

 

The airlines have registered his scooter on all flights but of course I have requested written confirmation of this, just in case!

 

Thank you for your heads up. I am feeling much better now that I know that he will be able to bring the smart scoot.

 

Katie

 

PS - Dont you just love the Smart Scoot. It has changed our lives.

 

 

 

 

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It's SOP for all passengers flying with a wheelchair or mobility scooter to register it with the airlines regardless of the carrier. Confirmation of KLM and Air France having registered it is not what you need . In fact you can normally go to any airlines website and check the details of you ticket as well as special instructions associated with your ticket by inputing the Locator Number and Confirmation Number. What you need is actual written proof of the fact that both carriers stated that the 160 WH limit only applies if the scooter has two batteries and that since your Smartscoot has a 288WH it will be accepted since it's below 300 WH which both airlines stated is the combined limited for 2 batteries .

 

It's important to note the gate agents as well as the onsite surpervisors an the airlines resolutions agents for aren't always current on policy. The airline representatives at the actual airport basically have the final word regardless of who you've been talking with over the phone unless you can show written proof of that the policy is other than that stated on the airlines website.

 

You can search the disabled forum and read post of people that have had issues with trying to board a plane with lithium mobility scooter batteries.

 

PS. Glad you Love the Smartscoot and it's worked out well. Had an opportunity to test ride one at the Abilities Expo last year in Illinois. Personally didn't like it.

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We love the smartscoot

 

Last year when we boarded a British airways flight in Budapest the ground staff there said the battery was not permitted according to ba policy. They were of course wrong. We flew to Europe on ba and have flown ba many times with the smartscoot. But the folks in Budapest who were not ba employees looked at a chart and said no. I finally convinced them with great difficulty to let me take the battery on the plane but it was touch and go

 

That’s why you need something in writing from the carrier

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I can only say that fifteen years ago we flew to Spain via CDG and it was one of my worst nightmares. Air France was absolutely horrible to us, starting at JFK where they would not allow me me to take my scooter to the gate and insisted that it be checked through (in pieces) to Spain. In CDG there was no jetway and they just pointed at the stairs and shrugged when I said that I could not negotiate the them. The story goes on and gets worse but I think you get the point. We vowed never to step foot or wheel in that place again.

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ZellaLamb

 

I think that after 15 years you will find places have changed a lot. People are more aware of the needs of disabled people. We travel to France frequently and find it to be one of the most disabled friendly countries in Europe.

 

 

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